The present invention relates to needle removal devices for syringes and other needle holders and pertains particularly to an improved needle release apparatus for quick and easy removal of needles from syringes.
A huge volume of syringes and hypodermic needles are used daily in the medical and health care industry and must be disposed of safely. These used needles pose a major health problem to the medical personnel using them as well as others who may come into contact with them either innocently or deliberately. The safe and effective disposal of these hypodermic needles poses one of the greatest disposal problems for the medical and health care industry.
Hypodermic needles are widely used for both injection of medication and for withdrawing blood samples for diagnostic purposes. In many instances the needle is removed from the holder and disposed of separately from the holder. In some cases, particularly with certain blood drawing or collection devices, the holder may be reused. In these cases, it is essential that the needle be easily, quickly and safely removed and disposed of without risk to the user.
The typical hypodermic needle comprises an elongated thin cannula having a sharp tip on one end and a hub at or near the other end for detachable attachment to a tubular holder such as a syringe or collector. The hub may have a threaded screw connector, Luer lock, Luer slip, or other type connector. The needle is usually covered with a protective tube or sheath detachably coupled to the hub for hand manipulation to aid in handling and connecting the needle to the holder prior to use. The protective sheath is removed after the needle is mounted in the holder and when it is to be used. The sheath may be again used to protectively cover the needle after use for safer removal and/or removal. However, attempts to reinsert the needle into the sheath often result in pricks of the skin of the user. Therefore, direct disposal of the used needle into a sharps container following use is desirable.
The present common technique of drawing blood samples is by means of an evacuated tube and holder combination such as that sold under the trademark VACUTAINER by the Becton Dickinson Company. These blood collection assemblies comprise a tubular holder or barrel having a double needle in one end, an open end to receive an evacuated collection tube. The needle is threadably mounted in the one end of the tubular holder with an exterior needle for penetrating the patient tissue for receiving blood. The interior needle is covered with a sheath valve and penetrates an elastomeric stopper in one end of an evacuated vacuum tube which acts to draw the blood.
Many devices have been proposed in the past for removal and disposal of the needles. Examples of these are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
______________________________________ Shillington 4,667,821 Shillington 4,984,686 Thead et al. 4,986,811 Sagstetter et al. 5,086,922 Sagstetter et al. 5,092,462 Shillington 5,249,680 ______________________________________
These prior art devices are generally effective to remove the needles. However, they all have various drawbacks. For example, many of them cannot be effectively used with one hand and require the use of both hands. This is usually difficult or inconvenient for the user may result in the used holder or syringe left laying about.
In the above identified parent application, a needle holder apparatus is disclosed having a novel coupling and means for releasing the needle from the threaded coupling of the holder when it is inserted into a special opening in a container and pressed forward. That apparatus was primarily adapted to holders having a threaded needle coupling.
Most traditional syringes utilize a Luer slip or a Luer lock type of coupling of the needle to the barrel. The Luer slip type of coupling has a tapered hollow plug like fitting extending from the end of the syringe for receiving a tapered socket on the coupling end of the needle. These establish a friction coupling and can be pulled directly off but usually require twisting to release the friction coupling of the needle to the syringe barrel where a tight fit has been established.
The Luer lock type coupling has both a tapered inner plug or sleeve and a threaded outer sleeve coupling. These require relative rotation of from about one quarter to about one half turn to unthread the needle from the outer sleeve coupling of the syringe barrel.
It is desirable that a simple, safe and effective quick release needle coupling for hypodermic needles be available that is applicable to the Luer type needle couplings.